The use of mobile electronic, or communication devices has increased dramatically over recent years as users wish to be able to be stay connected when they are away from a landline telephone or desktop computer. Some mobile communication devices also serve as a personal digital assistant for tracking meetings and daily activities. For users who are on the go, ease of use and speed are typical priorities. As speed is important, users typically start to use their device without verifying the status of the device since they are so concentrated on making a call, checking email or their calendar, among other things.
There are times when users attempt to use their mobile communication device while the device is in a locked mode. Frustration sets in once the user realizes that their mobile electronic device is in the locked mode and has to be unlocked for the user to use the device.
Typically, users are required to look at their display screen in order to determine the status, or state, of their device. This is, however, not an easy task since the user has to focus on what is being displayed on the display screen and divert their attention away from other tasks at hand. With the size of the screens in mobile communication devices, this information may not be immediately available to the user without having to stare intently at the screen for a few seconds. Furthermore, information concerning the device state, or status, is not readily available to the user.
It is, therefore, desirable to provide a novel method and apparatus for indicating mobile communication device status.